Cameron Highlands, Malaysia: How to get there, where to stay, what to do and where to eat

I think I spotted pictures of the Cameron Highlands on Instagram and immediately fell hard for it. And I fell even harder for it when I saw it in real life. The scenery is just mind blowing and so unlike anything we have here in the U.K. I honestly had no idea that a tea plantations could be so impressive. The towns in Cameron Highlands are very touristy and don't get me started on the sheer amount of traffic. But if you can look past the mock-tutor hotels, giant strawberry statues advertising farms and an incredible amount of people then you're in for a treat if you make it to this part of the world. We were only there for 24 hours but I think we saw the best bits!

How to get there

We visited during our Malaysian road trip so drove here from Ipoh. It was a pretty simple route and took us around 3 hours, do keep in mind that you'll have to schedule in time for traffic as it seems to be notorious in Malaysia. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous as we kept climbing higher and higher above sea level. Definitely one of the prettiest drives we took over the week. 

Where to stay

Address: Father's Guest House, 2000, Jalan Mentigi Utama, Tanah Rata, 39000 Tanah Rata, Pahang, Malaysia

Cost per night: Just under £20 for a private double room with an en-suite bathroom 

Father's Guesthouse was basic but it was perfect for one night. The staff couldn't be more helpful, it was within walking distance of restaurants and bars, the rooms were clean, the shower was great and they offer free tea and coffee. If you really don't fancy venturing far then they have a restaurant on site when you can feed your hunger. We didn't use them but they also offer nature tours around the area which I've read great things about.

What to do

Visit Boh tea plantation

You can't make a trip to the Cameron Highlands without visiting a tea plantation - after all, it's what the area is famous for! We took a tour with Eco Cameron (we did something else too which I'll talk about in a minute) as I wanted to use an organisation that promotes ethical and responsible tourism. We've gotta save the planet we live on! The tour picked us up in a minibus at 8.45am sharp from our guesthouse before driving us to the tea plantation. Our very knowledgable guide gave us the background information of tea plantations in Malaysia and what the future means for them. He showed us all the best spots to get that ideal Instagram shot! After our tour we had some spare time to enjoy a cup of tea in the cafe, browse the shop and take a quick guided tour of the factory. It was really cool and definitely something I'd recommend. 

Take a tour of the Mossy Forest

The second part of our tour with Eco Cameron was a trip to the Mossy Forest. After hopping in  a Land Rover, the guide drives you 6,666 feet above sea level - make sure you keep looking out to the window for the views. The Mossy Forest is a type of environment which only exists in the Cameron Highlands and across Malaysia. The eco system is perfect for moss, orchids, ferns and lichen. Our guide took us on a walk to explain all the different types of plants. It was sobering to hear what will happen to this beautiful eco-system if we don't look after it and treat it with the respect it deserves. Then we got to go on a specially designed walk through the forest and up to a cracking viewpoint with views for miles. It was stunning. 

Where to eat

Sri Brinchang
Indian food was our favourite cuisine while we were in Malaysia and we had some great dishes in Cameron Highlands. Before we checked into our guesthouse we went to Sri Brinchang to help satisfy our rumbling tummies. It doesn't look to much from the outside but in my experience that always means it will be pretty special. And I was right! We opted to have a variety of dishes to share between us. I highly rate the tandoori chicken, the roti canai and the vegetarian-friendly banana leaf meal. Service was really helpful, the food came out pretty quick and it was ridiculously cheap - even by Malaysian standards! If you've enjoyed your meal on the banana leaf be sure to forward it in half towards you to show your appreciation to the chef. 

Kumars
Our guide from the Mossy Forrest recommended Kumars, which is another Indian restaurant. Next door to Sri Brinchang! This was so delicious as well and again we had the roti canai with the vetegarian-friendly banana leaf because we couldn't get enough of it in Malaysia. I also recommend the Murtabak which was incredibly tasty. It was a thick roti filled with egg, meat, spices and onion. The curry which came with the banana leaf was gorgeous, I really didn't want to share it.

Travellers bar
We only shared a bowl of chips here as we were craving some Western food but it's a great little bar to have a few drinks in the evening. Travellers Bar was recommended by our guesthouse as a place to chill out. It wasn't too far a walk and prices were pretty reasonable.